


Fingers Crossed

by likealocket



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-10
Updated: 2006-01-10
Packaged: 2017-11-02 18:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likealocket/pseuds/likealocket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How it was on the Big Damn Wedding Night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fingers Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before the Firefly series timeline, on Wash and Zoe's wedding night. Written for the 2005 Space Santa challenge. Thanks to little_whittles for the beta.
> 
> Chinese translations in end notes.

They hadn't even made it to their bunk and Wash couldn't wait another moment before he just sidled his wife -- _tzao gao_ , his _wife_ \-- back against the wall out in Serenity's corridor, eager to get their wedding night started rightly.

"I've never seen you so gussied up as you were today," Zoe slid Wash's long-ago loosened necktie from the collar of his fancy shirt. "Musta been some occasion."

"There was free food and a pretty girl," Wash's hand wandered just low enough to leave no question to which girl he'd thought was prettiest. "That's two good reasons to get all fancified in my book."

"And shiny as you look in them..." Zoe's inviting tongue traced the shell of Wash's ear, "I'm more'n ready to see you _out_ of all these clothes." Her mouth found his, and gave an all-too-clear message as to _why_.

"Baby," Wash pulled back slightly when he could think again. "I love you, but you're definitely the muscle in this partnership. I may have quite the build for an ace pilot and shadow puppeteer," he paused dramatically to prove his semi-strength with a squeeze around her middle, feeling a puff of Zoe's warm breath against his cheek, "but I ain't gonna be able to carry my blushing bride across the threshold."

"Mmm, not too sure we're gonna make it that far," Zoe's words rumbled through the skin at the curve of Wash's neck, and he definitely had to agree on that distinct possibility, growing stronger by the minute.

"We’d better get inside soon, _bao bei_ , else Bester's going to get that show he's been wanting." With a slow grind of her hips, Zoe continued the pre-show, ah, entertainment.

"Ticket bought and paid for," Wash nodded, stifling a groan and feigning a glance at the watch he wasn't wearing. "He should be 'round any minute. And ah, he _may_ have paid extra to capture it." He turned his head to squint down the corridor, dodging smacks from an amused-against-her-better-judgment Zoe.

"Far as I know, only one person is invited, and I'm mighty tempted to take the man who's _payin'_ to be here, _dong ma_?" Zoe's (mostly) playful threat and narrowed eyes sent that familiar mix of intimidation and lust through Wash, which had long ago earned this woman his heart.

"Alright, I'll be good," he promised, though they both knew that meant anything but. "We may now be equals, all bound by sacred vows and such," Wash's finger traced gently over the pendant around Zoe's neck, "but that doesn't mean I've stopped bein' afraid of you."

"That's mighty generous of you, baby." Zoe's voice was solemn, betrayed by a hint of a smirk.

"Least I can do," Wash offered generously, cocking his head to the side. "If you don't have that, what else have you got to keep me from wanderin'?" Even as he said it, she led him easily by the hand through the entry to their bunk. As he slid the door shut behind them, he felt her warm hand on his waist, turning him slowly and pressing him full-body back against the door frame.

They lingered there, foreheads together, wrapped in each other's arms. With the chaos of the day behind them, they were newly washed over with the reality that they'd done it; they'd actually gone and gotten _married_.

Their eyes met and there, in that moment, they both knew Wash would never wander anywhere again that Zoe weren't by his side.

Still, the game was most of the fun. And they'd earned themselves a little playtime.

"Well, there's the promise you made today," Zoe pointed out, between teasing nips at her husband's welcoming mouth. Her fingers curled around the buttons of his shirt, undoing them expertly, one by one.

"Fingers crossed," he mumbled against her lips, arms snaking behind her, hands creeping to the zip of her slinky white dress. Wash caught her laughter in a greedy kiss. These were his favorite flavor of Zoe-kisses: warm and flowing, touched with her smile. There was nothing better in all the 'verse.

"I'll keep hostage your dinosaurs," she tried again, running her palms and then her lips along his bare shoulders. His fancy shirt dropped forgotten to the floor.

"Worthless creatures," he scoffed distractedly, eager hands finding the smooth skin of her lower back. "Couldn't even survive a planetary meltdown." And there was about to be a _Wash_ meltdown if there weren't less in the way of clothes and more in the way of naked love-of-his-life, and soon.

"Cap'n would hunt you down and gut you," Zoe's practiced fingers unfastened Wash's pants with ease and let them fall. With her hands tugging at the band of his shorts, not even mention of the Captain (or the too-truth of those words) could kill the mood.

"Not if he don't have anyone piloting his ship," Wash responded triumphantly, defeating both Zoe's argument and the baffling mass of fabric that just moments before had hidden his beautiful new wife from his full and glorious view. He stood, mesmerized, as she removed the few equally puzzling undergarments that came along with such delightful slinkiness, and glanced suggestively over her shoulder at him from the foot of the bed.

 _Wo de ma_ , he was in trouble.

"Well. There _is_ the sex," Zoe pointed out conversationally, as if there weren't a passel of _naked_ and _need you_ flying around the room.

That one stopped him for a moment. Well, that and the stunning, glowing woman ( _wife!_ ) sprawled invitingly across the bed, currently doing a fine job of consuming Wash's higher brain functions. And she had a pretty good grasp on the, ah, lower ones, too.

"Mmm, it _is_ pretty _lìngrén jingyì_ good sex," he conceded in an awed whisper. Then, more tellingly, seriously, " _Nî hâo mêi_."

The truth in those words earned him a radiant smile from his new bride, and it felt better than acing the trickiest flying maneuver he'd ever pulled. He done good. Better'n good.

Matter of fact, he had to be the luckiest _chunrén_ in all the worlds to have landed a woman so amazing as his Zoe. At the start, he'd had to poke and pester his way into getting her to talk to him civil, let alone agree to see him date-like. But somewhere along the way she'd warmed up to the idea and he was still thanking whatever higher power in the 'verse saw to it _that_ had happened.

Because now here they were, joined together in holy matrimony, and exactly what _was_ he still doing all the way across the room?

His feet finally caught up to the rest of him. A few hurried steps and Wash was at the edge of the bed, crawling toward the best thing that ever happened to him. The intense heat of the previous moments simmered into a slow burn as Wash draped himself over his new bride, molding into her, like they'd always belonged that way. Maybe they had.

"Today really happened, didn't it?" Wash wondered aloud into her hair.

"It really did," Zoe confirmed. "Can't hardly believe it my own self, baby." Her hand ran up and down his back, as if reassuring his realness.

Wash caught her wrist and brought it around to his lips. From there, her fingers soon found their way into his wild hair and pulled his head down to where she needed it most, against her own. Just when things were heading back toward really getting good, an unmistakably clumsy-male-where-he-weren't-supposed-to-be-lurking _thud_ sounded just outside the door.

Zoe and Wash sprang apart and exchanged looks. They both new the Captain had gone straight for his own bunk after the party, and wouldn't _dare_ venture out again for fear of what creepifing things he might see. So that could only mean...

Realization came to both at once, with Zoe's eyes narrowing and Wash's widening as he shook his head madly.

"There were no tickets!" He tried again when her fixed stare failed to soften, "No currency was exchanged, I swear! Lambie-toes?"

Zoe held up one finger in a motion to silence him and his mouth clamped shut. "Oh! Baby, yes!" Zoe groaned loudly, too loudly, Wash thought as he reached unsuccessfully to cover her mouth. Bester was right outsi-

 _Ohhh_. His woman was beautiful _and_ smart.

"Oh, Bester!" Zoe, ah, completed, "That's it, YES!"

A muffled, "huh?" followed shortly by an, "oh, _aiya huaile_!" could be heard through the door, and then heavy footsteps retreating quickly.

Wash couldn't resist the laughter slipping out, because really. A moment later, it turned rather suddenly into a cough, with one look at the icy glare aimed his way from the other side of the bed. "Ah, baby-"

"Next time," Zoe interrupted, waving a threatening pillow in Wash's direction. He cringed mightily for the oncoming blow. "Next time, we _split_ profits. That clear, _zhàngfu_?"

Wash's eyes sprang open and he broke into a wide grin, snatching the pillow and tossing it a safe distance away. He leaned over his Zoe, backs of his fingers trailing along the smooth skin of her cheek.

"Whatever you say, my wife," the path of his gaze followed, and then his kisses. "Whatever you say."

 

**Author's Note:**

>  **Translations:**  
>  _tzao gao_ \- crap  
>  _bao bei_ \- sweetheart  
>  _dong ma?_ \- understand?  
>  _Wo de ma_ \- Mother of God  
>  _lìngrén jingyì_ \- stunning/amazing  
>  _Nî hâo mêi_ \- You are so beautiful  
>  _chunrén_ \- fool  
>  _aiya huaile_ \- shit on my head  
>  _zhàngfu_ \- husband


End file.
